Mesh-stripper for hand-operated knitting machines



Dec. 31; 1957 E. PlLTZ 2,817,962

MESH-STRIPPER FOR HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINES FiledAfig. 31 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1957 E. PlLTZ ,817,962

MESH-STRIPPER FOR HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 31, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

United States Patent O MESH-STRIPPER FOR HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINES Erich Piltz, Markdorf, Baden, Germany, assignor to Wilby Werner Lenkeit, Markdorf, Germany Application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,567

Claims priority, application Germany November 17, 1952 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-109) My invention relates to hand-operated knitting machines of the type which has knitting needles supported by a horizontal or almost horizontal bed and is operated by an eccentric lock moving to and fro in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the needles. It is known to provide these machines with mesh-strippers which move usually together with the lock, have an operating edge positioned under the level of the needles and have a length which is about equal to the parallel width of the lock.

These machines have to produce knitted goods in one piece. Hence it is necessary to pick up and drop a more or less large number of meshes laterally during the knitting operation. It is known that contractions of the knitted product, especially in its marginal zone, occur because of inner tensions, already when the knitting proceeds straight up and much more when it includes lateral pickups. These contractions can be overcome only partly by the vertical pull of the usual weights, even when additional lateral weights are applied.

It will be understood that owing to the above mentioned drawback, the known mesh strippers can function only when sufiicient additional pull weights are suspend ed on or near the rim of the knitted product at the right time. If this is not done at the proper time, stitches are dropped and knitting is interrupted.

I have found that knitting machines of the above mentioned type operate satisfactorily, the inner tensions of the knitted goods are partly overcome, the pull weights may be reduced and additional marginal weights may be totally or at least partly omitted if a mesh-stripper is used which operates under the level of the needles and is provided with surfaces contacting the knitted goods during movement of the lock in such a manner that these surfaces urge the knitted goods in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the lock movement.

For example, the knitted product may be contacted by surfaces extending at both ends of the mesh-stripper beyond the eccentric curve of the lock, these ends forming upward bent steps. In addition, the mesh-stripper may rise toward the lock in the longitudinal direction of the needles to their level whereby the mesh-stripper acts on the knitted goods near the line where the needles enter the bed and where meshes are apt to unhook from the needles if there are not suificient pull Weights. The mesh-stripper according to my invention, in addition to shifting the meshes in the longitudinal direction of the needles, counteracts the inner tensions of the product. This counteraction is mainly directed perpendicularly to the moving direction of the lock, but also parallel to the latter direction.

It is an object of my invention to exert a force on the meshes hanging on the needles in directions crossing the needles, in addition to the pressure shifting the meshes in the longitudinal direction of the needles, thereby to counteract the inner tensions of the knitting, thereby to make possible the use of fewer and lighter pull weights and to avoid the necessity of applying marginal weights or other means for loading the marginal zones when considerable lateral additions are made to the knittings, and to safeguard an uninterrupted knitting process independ: ently of suflicient pull.

Other objects are to attain these results with simple and reliable means, and to simplify the operation of a hand-operated knitting machine.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of exemplifying embodiments of my invention, from the appended claims and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a hand-operated knitting machine provided according to my invention with a meshstripper having upward bent ends extending beyond the eccentric curve.

Fig. 2 shows a partially sectional side view of the embodiment shown in Fig. l, the sectionally represented parts being out along the line IIII in Fig. 1.

'Fig. 3 shows a top view of a mesh-stripper identical to and represented on a larger scale than the mesh-stripper shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-section taken along the line VV in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates the frame of a hand-operated knitting machine, 2 the needle bed and 3 the knitting needles which are supported on the bed 2 in substantially horizontal and parallel positions. The needles are guided in known manner in their longitudinal direction. A lock 4 moving to and fro in a horizontal direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the needles 3 is provided with a curved cam track 5' which engages and operates the needles.

A holder 6 is affixed to the lock 4 and carries a meshstripper 7 which is preferably adjustably connected with the holder.

According to my invention, the mesh-stripper 7 has two end portions 8 which extend at right angles to the moving direction of the mesh-stripper and beyond the ends of the curved cam track 5. The portions 8 are connected by bent portions 9 with a fiat, straight bar 10 which forms the middle portion of the mesh-stripper. This bar is positioned under the level or plane of the needles 3 and extends preferably almost as far as the end of the curved cam track 5. The end portions 8 are a step higher than the bar 10. The portions 9 form oblique risers extending from the middle portion 10 upward to the end portions 8. Thus the portions 8, 9 and 10 form a unit (Fig. 4) which uniformly rises as shown in Fig. 1 toward the lock 4 in the longitudinal direction of the needles 3. The central part of the bar 10 has an extension 11 which may be positioned horizontally or angularly with respect to the bar 10 and which is provided with a slot 11a for the adjustable connection of the mesh-stripper with the holder 6.

The bar 10 acts on the knitted fabric under the needles 3 within the length of the curved cam track 5. The elevated end portions 8 and the oblique risers 9 exert pressure on those meshes which hang on the not yet operating needles. This pressure occurs particularly at the risers 9 where the needles 3 just start engaging the curved cam track 5. The rising direction of the portions 9 results in an urge directed toward the level or plane of the needles 3.

It is to be understood that my invention is not confined to the particular embodiments shown and described, and may be carried out in other ways within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodiments shown and described are only a few of the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

The term mesh stripper" whereverit appears in this specification and in the appended claims, indicates an element which sometimes has been denoted by the term loop re-pusher in the art of knitting machines.

Having described the nature ofmy invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a knitting machine having substantially horizontally bedded needles and a lock movable to and fro .in a direction crossing said needles and engaging the same operatively, a mesh-stripper connected and moving with said lock, having a bar extending under the level of said needles in said moving direction, and having portions extending upwards to said level, said portions urging upwards the knitted goods in the direction of the planeof the, needles.

2. In a knitting machine having substantiallyhorizontally bedded needles and a lock movable to and fro in a direction crossing said needles andengaging the same operatively, a mesh-stripper connected and moving with said lock, having a bar extending under the level of said needles in said moving direction, and having portions ex- 4. tending upwards to said level, said portions urging upwards the knitted goods in the direction of the plane of the needles, said portions forming step-wise elevated, lengthwise extensions of said bar.

3. In a knitting machine comprising a substantially horizontal needle plane and a lock movable to and fro in a direction crossing the needles and engaging the same operatively, a mesh-stripper connected and moving with said lock comprising a bar extending under the level of said needles in said moving direction and comprising portions extending upwards to said level, said portions urging upwards the knitted goods in the direction of the plane of the needles, said bar and said portions being posi' tioned in a plane oblique to the said horizontal needle plane.

2,670,618 Von Skene et al Mar. 2, 1954 Crane Oct. 15, 1867 

